Unit 5 · Weakening Arguments
Traditional Foods — Weaken the Claim
Lesson 1 of 2
Weakening Arguments questions test one specific mental habit: reading an argument, identifying what it assumes to be true, and then finding the evidence that shows that assumption does not hold.
This format appears consistently across every OC Thinking Skills test. The ability to quickly isolate the hidden assumption separates students who guess from students who score reliably on Evaluating Arguments.
The examiner wants to confirm that you can identify the single claim an argument is trying to prove and then select the statement that most directly undermines it — not something vaguely contrary or emotionally opposite, but something that logically breaks the argument.
An argument makes a general claim about why something happens — typically a one-cause explanation. Three of the four options restate the claim, mildly support it, or are irrelevant. The correct weakener provides a different explanation for the same behaviour or outcome.
Best approach: Ask: "What does this argument ASSUME must be true?" Then ask: "Which option shows that assumption is false or incomplete?" The answer that offers the most direct and powerful counter-explanation wins — a rival cause, an overlooked exception, or a fact that reverses the conclusion.
Question
People do not eat certain foods because they are picky eaters. This is especially demonstrated in our present world, due to the large variety of foods that can now be found in a large selection of stores, cafes and restaurants.
Which of the following best weakens the argument?
Select an answer to see the explanation.
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